Abd Allah al-Khayyat
- Died
- 1415 AH
- Born in
- Mecca
Abd Allah al-Khayyat (1326–1415 AH / 1908–1995 CE) was a Saudi scholar, educator, and long-serving imam and preacher at al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. He served as a founding member of the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars and authored instructional works including I'tiqad al-Salaf ("Creed of the Early Generations").
Early Life and Education
His full name was Abu Abd al-Rahman Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Ghani ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Ghani Khayyat. His lineage traced to the tribe of Bali from Quda'a; his family relocated from Hama in Syria to Mecca in the late twelfth century AH. He was born in Mecca on 29 Shawwal 1326 AH (1908 CE) into a scholarly family; his father had studied Hanafi jurisprudence, Quranic exegesis, and hadith, and died in 1343 AH when Abd Allah was seventeen.
He received his primary education at Madrasat al-Khayyat, followed the secondary curriculum at al-Madrasa al-Raqiya during the Hashemite period, and memorized the Quran at al-Madrasa al-Fakhriyya and under Muhammad ibn Amin Mirdad. He attended the study circles in al-Masjid al-Haram and graduated from the Saudi Scientific Institute in Mecca in 1350 AH (another report gives 1360 AH). Among his teachers were Abd Allah ibn Hasan Al al-Shaykh—whom he accompanied for about a decade—as well as Abd al-Zahir Abu al-Samh, Muhammad Abd al-Razzaq Hamza, Abu Bakr Khuqir, Salman al-Azhari, Ubayd Allah al-Sindi, Sulayman al-Hamdan, and Muhammad Hamid al-Fiqi.
Career and Public Service
In 1345 AH, his teacher Abd Allah ibn Hasan Al al-Shaykh assigned him to lead the 'Isha' prayer at al-Masjid al-Haram, and he led the congregation during the last ten nights of Ramadan before turning nineteen. In 1346 AH, he was named imam of the Dandrawi Mosque in Mecca, and later that year was appointed by royal order as an imam of al-Masjid al-Haram alongside Abd al-Zahir Abu al-Samh. In 1347 AH, he was appointed to the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.
He became headmaster of al-Madrasa al-Faysaliyya in Mecca in 1352 AH. In 1356 AH, he moved to Riyadh at the directive of King Ibn Saud to direct the Princes' School (Madrasat al-Umara') for the education of the royal sons. He subsequently served as dean of the College of Sharia in Mecca, director of education in Mecca, and advisor to the Ministry of Knowledge. In 1373 AH, he was formally appointed imam and preacher of al-Masjid al-Haram, continuing in this role until 1405 AH, when he stepped down due to declining health. In 1391 AH (1971 CE), King Faisal of Saudi Arabia appointed him among the founding members of the Council of Senior Scholars, where he served until being relieved on account of age in 1413 AH. He was also a member of the Cultural Committee of the Muslim World League.
His students included several Saudi princes, as well as scholars such as Abd al-Wahhab Abu Sulayman and Abd al-Malik ibn Duhaysh. He was the first to record a complete recitation (murattal) of the Quran in Saudi Arabia. In addition to radio lectures and a regular weekly column in the newspaper Okaz, he authored reflective and ethical works such as Ta'ammulat fi Durub al-Haqq wa-l-Batil ("Reflections on the Paths of Truth and Falsehood").
Death
He died on 7 Sha'ban 1415 AH (8 January 1995 CE) in Mecca. Another report states that he died on 28 Safar 1414 AH in Ta'if and was buried in Mecca.
Answer updated
List of Works
Ma Yajibu an Ya‘rifahu al-Muslim ‘an Dinih (What Every Muslim Must Know About His Religion) is an instructional handbook covering fundamental Islamic creed, essential acts of worship, and pilgrimage rites. Designed as an accessible guide to essential religious duties, it outlines foundational obligations of faith with a particular focus on pilgrims and visitors to Mecca and Medina.